Semiconductor switching elements are increasingly being used as switches for switching electrical loads. Such semiconductor switching elements are e.g., MOS transistors, such as MOSFET or IGBT. A drive circuit serves for driving a semiconductor switching element in the on-state or in the off-state, said drive circuit being connected to a drive terminal of the semiconductor switching element and generating a drive signal for driving the semiconductor switching element in the on-state or in the off-state. In order to generate said drive signal, the drive circuit requires a supply voltage.
The generation of a supply voltage for a drive circuit of a semiconductor switching element can be effected using bootstrap circuits, for example.
For these and other reasons there is a need for the present invention.